36 EFL matches over the weekend. How many home wins ???

[A Quiet Monkfish]

7.

I think that answers any debate about how home fans can influence their side's performance.

[Former Labour leader]

7.

I think that answers any debate about how home fans can influence their side's performance.

No doubt games are not the same, they lack intensity which definitely suits the away side .
Looking 4ward to 2 away wins this week. 😀

[Eric the Half a Bee]

Championship:

2018/19:
Home wins - 43.5%
Away wins - 27.2%
Home goals average - 1.51
Away goals average - 1.15

2019/20 (all):
Home wins - 41.7%
Away wins - 31.3%
Home goals average - 1.41
Away goals average - 1.23

If you split 2019/20 into pre and post lockdown...

Pre-lockdown:
Home wins - 42.6%
Away wins - 29.7%
Home goals average - 1.43
Away goals average - 1.21

Post-lockdown:
Home wins - 38%
Away wins - 38%
Home goals average - 1.34
Away goals average - 1.29

2020/21:
Home wins - 32.1%
Away wins - 36.9%
Home goals average - 1.01
Away goals average - 1.06

Clearly the lack of fans has had some impact on home form. What's particularly interesting is the lack of goals this season, almost 7 per set of fixtures (12) less than the average of the previous two seasons.

In League 1, home win percentage virtually the same as last season, at 46.3%, though away win percentage is up.
In League 2, home win percentage is down from 42% to 34%, with away win percentage up on a year ago.

All 3 divisions show a drop in goals this season from the previous two.

[Eric the Half a Bee]

In the earlier kick offs tonight, first 7 goals scored by home teams...

[Former Labour leader]

Mainly home wins tonite. Wonder if away advantage wearing off?

[Eric the Half a Bee]

Mainly home wins tonite. Wonder if away advantage wearing off?

Yes. 16 home wins, 5 draws, 6 away wins. It's noticeable tonight that there were more goals than average scored as well.

There's little doubt that there is less home advantage without a crowd, but neither is there any evidence to say that away teams now hold an advantage, either.

[the other bob wilson]

I don't get the whole away teams doing better thing post lockdown. I accept that the lack of a home crowd is a factor with the argument being as to how much of one it is - I tend to side with the not as much as some may think line. I'd also say that you would expect that a side full of players who are performing at familiar territory having not had to travel a long way to the ground would have a small advantage.

However, the opposite appears to be true, this has always surprised me and I'm no nearer coming up with an explanation as to why. Despite those very small supposed advantages for the home side I mentioned, it looks to me as if away teams are turning up with the same sort of attitude as they would have if there were 20,000 wanting to see them thrashed in the stands. In fact, the lacks of goals in the Football League so far suggests that their attitudes might be even more defensive with an emphasis on quick counter attacking.

Turning to City, although we look to carry more of a goal threat this season, we have still only scored a miserable six in eight matches in all competitions which tends to suggest that the lack of creativity in central midfield in open play is the main reason for that awful scoring record. I think we are a bit different from most in that you can see why we're currently much more successful away from home - if a side comes here and defends anything like well, they know they only need to score two (and we are currently giving visiting teams a cheap set piece goal a game almost) to be pretty sure of winning,

[A Quiet Monkfish]

I don't get the whole away teams doing better thing post lockdown. I accept that the lack of a home crowd is a factor with the argument being as to how much of one it is - I tend to side with the not as much as some may think line. I'd also say that you would expect that a side full of players who are performing at familiar territory having not had to travel a long way to the ground would have a small advantage.

However, the opposite appears to be true, this has always surprised me and I'm no nearer coming up with an explanation as to why. Despite those very small supposed advantages for the home side I mentioned, it looks to me as if away teams are turning up with the same sort of attitude as they would have if there were 20,000 wanting to see them thrashed in the stands. In fact, the lacks of goals in the Football League so far suggests that their attitudes might be even more defensive with an emphasis on quick counter attacking.

Turning to City, although we look to carry more of a goal threat this season, we have still only scored a miserable six in eight matches in all competitions which tends to suggest that the lack of creativity in central midfield in open play is the main reason for that awful scoring record. I think we are a bit different from most in that you can see why we're currently much more successful away from home - if a side comes here and defends anything like well, they know they only need to score two (and we are currently giving visiting teams a cheap set piece goal a game almost) to be pretty sure of winning,

Managers always heap praise on their own fans, "12th man" and all that, but in City's case I think it is more relevant than most other Championship clubs. For as long as I can remember opposition managers have said coming to City is a notoriously difficult place, and judging from away matches I've attended, our sometimes annoyingly quite fans are actually a darned site more vociferous that pretty much any 'home' fans against the City. I think City are also suffering simply because we aren't a team for whom playing football comes naturally - we need that motivation and urging from the crowd, especially as the game progresses, to step it up another gear..